Police apathy fuels anti-immigrant protests in Newcastle

Nineteen weeks have passed since the far-right anti-immigrant group, the Great British Strike, began holding recurring protests outside New Bridge Hotel in Newcastle, which houses individuals engaged with the asylum system.

The protests have displayed a disturbing pattern of racist intimidation towards vulnerable communities. Police don’t stand in the way of the far-right racists who typically shout  “nonce,” while counter-protesters shouts “Nazi.” In the end, we all go home knowing little was truly achieved.

For me, the presence of counterprotests is a necessary show of solidarity for the hotel’s residents.

4 months down…

As the protests enter their fifth month, turnout has dwindled on both sides, and police presence has dropped sharply. In recent weeks, right-wing agitators have bypassed police lines to flank the left-wing demonstration, at times walking straight through supposed “sterile zones” to attack counter-protesters.

When I arrived on Saturday, the turnout wasn’t bad.

The night before, the far-right organiser, Mason Laidler, announced his intention to step down, claiming the heavy burden of “organising” had started to interfere with his work as an “investigative journalist”. Truly tragic…But hey, there were still plenty of familiar faces, though admittedly with a smaller turnout overall.

Once again, they were out there heckling about the dangers immigrants pose to women and children—especially ironic, considering one of their leading voices had previously been imprisoned for child abuse…absolute shocker.

Professional indifference

What feels strange now is the police response—or lack thereof. It’s been a long time since they stationed officers at the rear of the left-wing group. Even today, someone was waving a Union Jack from the stairs behind the counter-protest, as if scoring points.

In recent weeks, a group managed to slip past the police, hurling abuse and making Nazi salutes at the counter-demonstration. The police, of course, saw nothing, nor were their body cameras recording.

Every week, people try to flank the left, and yet, the police still can’t seem to monitor the area. Instead, their officers are too busy protecting the rear of the right-wing demonstration.

Demonstrators acting with impunity

While I was taking pictures, I noticed one of the organisers strolling through the crowd of left-wing protesters, an iPhone-wielding “auditor” tagging along. It’s truly staggering how little control the police has over these agitators.

Watching it firsthand, one of the right-wingers walked between two police lines, and not a single officer even bothered to glance her way.

Five minutes later, it was clear this was a scouting move. Half the demonstration disappeared down side streets, only to reappear near the hotel. Everyone rushed over. The police seemed just as surprised.

Two tier policing on full display

Watching the police at these protests is always telling. A few months ago, an amateur photographer was threatened with arrest for incitement after he was assaulted by a right-wing protester. Last week in Chesterfield, three officers physically lifted someone off the ground for doing nothing. On Saturday, three officers stood by as a right-wing protester shouted threats, then walked away.

A journalist from the Daily Mail once compared the situation to dogs barking on opposite sides of a fence, remove the barrier, and the barking stops. But in the end, shouting changes nothing. The police aren’t keeping the peace, they’re managing a spectacle. All that’s left is the simple act of showing up to say, “We see you.”